Over-the-counter drugs, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, have expiration dates printed on the packages that are confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But, experts say that in a pinch, someone could take recently expired cold and flu medications to get relief from their symptoms.

“But for over-the-counter medications, generally speaking, they’re just not going to be as effective as they were when they were in date,” she said.

There are several factors—a person’s age, the type of medication, how it’s been stored, and how expired it is—that can make taking expired medication more risky.

Here’s what experts had to say about over-the-counter drugs’ expiration dates, what happens when you take expired medication, and how to stay prepared for cold and flu season.

How Do Medication Expiration Dates Work?

Unlike the expiration dates on most food products, the FDA has a hand in regulating medications’ shelf life.

Curtis explained that companies have to submit stability testing data to the FDA that shows how long over-the-counter medications are good for.

“That stability testing data essentially says, ‘We’ve tested this medication, and this is how long the medication is stable before it starts losing its effectiveness or becoming potentially harmful,’” she said.

After the expiration date passes, the drug company can’t guarantee that the over-the-counter drug will be completely effective and safe. The FDA encourages people to not use any expired medications.

But these expiration dates aren't always so black and white.

For some medications, Curtis said, people can probably use them for a few months after they expire—the medication likely just won’t work as well. 

However, when people take over-the-counter medications too long after the expiration date, that could become risky. Drugs that have been expired for many months could, at best, do nothing, and at worst, could cause negative reactions, Curtis said. 

Unfortunately, there’s no good way to determine when exactly a medication will stop being effective or safe. But Curtis warned that even three to four months post-expiration date may be “pushing it.”

For certain over-the-counter cold and flu medications, the expiration date should be followed as directed, Garling-Nañez said.

Products that contain aspirin may also be unsafe after the expiration date, she added, as that drug has a tendency to break down.

Determining whether to take expired cold and flu medication may also come down to who needs it, said Garling-Nañez. Children, older people, and those with other health conditions may want to avoid all expired over-the-counter drugs to err on the side of caution.

Where the medication is stored is yet another factor to take into consideration when determining if a drug is safe to take. If drugs are stored incorrectly, they may become ineffective before their expiration date, experts said.

“Something that is in a windowsill or gets a lot of sunlight, or if you kept it in the car, or even in a backpack or purse that you leave in the trunk, those are actually going to expire faster,” Garling-Nañez said. “The heat will break down the medication much quicker.”

The same goes for drugs that are stored in a bathroom.

“[A shower] creates a very warm, moist environment, which [can] affect the medications that are in that bathroom,” Curtis said.

While there’s no exact rule of thumb when it comes to figuring out if an expired medication is okay to take, if a drug appears to be crumbling, has a strange color, or looks “irregular” at all, it should be thrown out, Garling-Nañez advised.

Cleaning Out Your Supply of Cold and Flu Medications

Before taking expired cold and flu drugs, the best thing to do is try to find new medication, Garling-Nañez said, whether that’s using same-day delivery services or asking for a favor from a friend or family member.

However, if the medication has expired very recently—within the last couple of months—there’s a good chance that it’ll still work, Curtis said. Taking this medication just comes with a bit of risk.

To avoid choosing whether or not to take an expired medication, prevention is key. Garling-Nañez said now is a good time to “take 20 minutes, go through all your medications, look at all those expiration dates.”

Otherwise, people can simply throw them away, though there are some steps to take beforehand.

“We tend to want to mix [expired drugs] with something that’s not very palatable for animals and people. So mix it with coffee grounds, kitty litter, something that [you wouldn’t want] to ingest,” Garling-Nañez said. “Dispose of them in the regular trash. And we do that because we don’t want them getting into our water.”

Staying Prepared This Cold and Flu Season

Along with throwing out expired medication, restocking or filling in medication needs is crucial to staying healthy this cold and flu season. It’s important that people have access to medications that are not only within the printed expiration date, but that can also properly alleviate symptoms.

“Absolutely everyone should keep on hand either a Tylenol or an Advil product—so acetaminophen or ibuprofen—in case you do have a fever,” Curtis said.

“Find your go-tos that you like, that have worked for you in the past. And if at the very least, make sure that those are updated,” Garling-Nañez said.

Beyond over-the-counter medications, there are a number of other strategies that people can use to make sure they’re prepared for the cold and flu season. 

“The number one thing that people should be doing is keeping their hands clean,” Curtis said. “Continue to use hand sanitizer as often as you can with regard to when you’re coming in and out of public places.”